Treatments for Superior Periodontal Health

So we have talked about Periodontal Disease before briefly. Today I would like to revisit and also talk about treatment for it.

According to the American Academy of Periodontology and the 2003 World Health Organization report around 80% of adults over 35 suffer from periodontal disease.

Periodontal Disease is a bacterial infection resulting when food, bacteria and tartar are not sufficiently cleaned from the teeth. Periodontitis occurs when toxins destroy the tissues that anchor teeth in the bone. As gums detach from teeth, pockets form and fill with plaque. Tooth roots are exposed and become susceptible to decay and sensitive to cold and touch. In the beginning, the infection develops along the gumline and when left untreated, it will progress beneath the gums to damage the gums, teeth and bone.

Dr. Charles Mayo, of the Mayo Clinic said back in the 1930’s, “People who keep their teeth live an average of 10 years longer than people who lose their teeth.” Having said that, Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss among adults. (Re-read)
I could maybe stop right there. It should be enough to get everyone’s attention but I won’t because this is so important. Bacterial infections in the gum tissue may affect more than your teeth and gums. Research has established associations between oral bacteria and systemic diseases including

Type 2 Diabetes

Heart Disease

Respiratory Disease

Blood Clots

Strokes

Preterm and Low Birth Weight Babies

Chronic Inflammation

Now for treatment. When you visit the dentist, the standard cleaning procedure called “scaling and root planning” is the most common treatment used to remove oral biofilm (which is the protected communities of bacteria) in periodontal pockets. The Perio Protect Method augments this professional cleaning procedure with a technique that you use at home to help manage oral bacteria on a daily basis

Susquehanna Dental Arts also offers the Perio Protect Method medical devise as a part of our comprehensive services. This periodontics tool delivers prescribed medication directly to the source of periodontal disease. The Perio Trays are worn as a supplement to regular brushing and flossing and the treatments are modified as healing occurs. Most patients are able to avoid gum surgery. Worn for minutes each day, the trays fit right over your teeth and allow an effective concentration of medicine to be delivered to the infection. It can’t work if you don’t use it. In order for the Perio Protect Method to be effective, you need to follow your dentist’s instructions. Scientists determined that after 17 days of this treatment 99.98% of the disease-causing bacteria were killed.

Susquehanna Dental Arts utilizes laser gum cleaning treatment to remove plaque and tartar from affected teeth. The laser gum cleaning procedure removes infection from gum tissue and reshapes it therefor reducing pocket depths when there is pocketing. The laser also decontaminates the deep pockets that are inaccessible to routine brushing and flossing.

When deep pockets between teeth and gums are present (4-6 mm or greater), it is difficult for the dentist to thoroughly remove plaque and tarter. Patients can seldom, if ever, keep these pockets clean and free of plaque. Consequently, surgery may be needed to restore periodontal health. Bone surgery may be needed to rebuild or reshape bone that has been destroyed. A gingival graft may be used if extensive gum tissue has been lost around the tooth root.